Health-Tracking “Smart Toilet” Discerns Users by Their Unique “Analprints”

Mountable on standard systems, a new “smart toilet” concept debuted in the scientific journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, in a research paper by Sanjiv Gambhir of Stanford University. The health-tracking system within the device scans biological waste and uploads the data found to the cloud. It builds unique user profiles based on “analprints,” or the distinct shape of everyone’s butthole—which it captures through a camera within …

Ancient Egyptian Pigment Now Used in Molecular Biology

The bright and striking pigment known as Egyptian Blue (or calcium copper silicate) was invented 5,000 years ago but continues to fascinate, now through the scientific insight it provides. The pigment (most famously featured on the Bust of Nefertiti, 1345 BC) has proven itself useful in biology research, as nanoscale mineral sheets of it essentially light up molecular imaging. A description of an imaging experiment …

Forecasting Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Architecture

ArchDaily has compiled a list of six “visions” portraying how artificial intelligence may change architecture, relying on MIT Professor Max Tegmark’s quote as the foundation for the discussion: “We are all the guardians of the future of life now as we shape the age of AI.” The six predictions—which were originally displayed at the Shenzen Biennial Eyes of the City exhibition—range from buildings with the …